Cats show fight to hold Bray - December 24, 2000
Kilkenny City 2 Bray Wanderers 2
Could Kilkenny City have hit a turning point? Forty-five minutes gone and the game looked to be going the way the rest of the season had gone, with Bray leading 2-0.
Forty-five minutes later and Kilkenny looked like a different team, having fought their way back for a deserved draw which could so easily have been a win.
Paul Keegan had put the Seasiders in front after only ten minutes. And there was more agony for the Cats on 27 minutes when Colm Tresson set up Barry O'Connor for what looked like the winner.
But Kilkenny responded with a transfusion of new and old blood! On came Barry O'Neill - a young recruit from junior football - and veteran assistant manager Billy Walsh.
The breakthrough came on 61 minutes when Derek McGrath put Carlos Rocha through and the Portuguese-born striker beat Van Boxtel.
Kilkenny 'keeper Matt Nelson almost put a spanner in the works five minutes later when he conceded a penalty. But Eddie Gormley's spot kick thundered off the crossbar. And within three minutes Kilkenny were level. Van Boxtel failed to hold Richie Purdy's cross and Paul McAreavey was on hand to stab the ball home.
Kilkenny could have won it when Derek McGrath's shot looked to have Van Boxtel beaten but took a deflection and fell into the 'keeper's arms. But Bray almost nicked it when Jason Byrne headed off the crossbar with a minute to go.
Kilkenny City: Nelson, O'Hanlon, Brunton, Brennan, Mulcahy, Wilkinson, McGrath, McAreavey, Rocha, Purdy, Johnston
Subs: O'Neill for O'Hanlon 44, Walsh for Brennan 68
Goals: Rocha 61, McAreavey 69
Bray Wanderers: Van Boxtel, Tresson, Farrell, Lynch, Charles, Gormley, O'Connor, Britton, Keegan, Byrne, Keogh
Subs: Smyth for Keogh
Goals: Keegan 10, O'Connor 27
Referee: A O'Regan (Cork)